Airtel teams up with Google to provide free Internet access

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Days after Idea Cellular teamed up with the social networking website Facebook to provide free Facebook access to its user, Airtel has now come up with a similar plan. According to a PTI report, Bharti Airtel has partnered with Google to launch its new service “Free Zone”. Under this scheme, the subscribers will be allowed free access to Google’s services like Gmail, Google+ and the Google search engine, but will be forced to pay for advance services such as attachment downloads and so on.

Talking to PTI, an Airtel spokesperson said, “Free Zone powered by Google, will give Airtel mobile customers access to mobile web search and feature phone friendly versions of Gmail and Google+ in India. The first page of a website linked from search results is provided at no data cost.”

The company also stated that before a user could move out of the free zone limit or would try downloading a file, he would be notified about the data charges and would also be assisted while availing an appropriate data package. Additionally, while accessing the Gmail account, if one wishes to navigate through a link or an attachment, he will be directed to the page where he will have to avail a data plan before browsing the link.

“In this market, where feature phones predominate, our association with Google to bring Free Zone to India will encourage millions of users to discover the power of mobile Internet for the very first time and leverage the amazing world of information search, email and social collaboration – at no incremental cost,” said N Rajaram, Chief Marketing Officer (Consumer Business), Bharti Airtel​